Comic Rack – Detective Comics #34

The opening arc of new creative team Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato comes to a close as Batman‘s fight with the Kings of the Sun ends with Batman victorious but Annie Aguila‘s own battle and path of vengeance is a bittersweet reminder that not everyone in Gotham City can be saved.

The Icarus arc has spent quite a bit of time on Batman’s relationship with Detective Harvey Bullock, which continues here. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues moving forward or if Manapul and Buccellato have other members of the GCPD or Batman’s supporting cast to highlight in the coming months (I’d know I’d like to see Renee Montoya back on the force).

Stripped of any super-villain, or larger-than-life Bat-villain, the Icarus arc sets a tone for an intriguing book on Batman’s battle with the street-level criminal element of Gotham, while highlighting his reliance on his detective skills, that I hope to see continue as well. Worth a look.